Cara Walker
Cara Wakefield (nee Walker) is a character in the Sweet Valley High series as well as a major character in the book Sweet Valley Confidential. When she was first introduced, Cara Walker was the best friend of Jessica Wakefield. She and Jessica had a lot in common, as in with fashions, boys, being in Pi Beta Alpha, their sorority, and their circle of friends, which included Lila Fowler. Cara was also known as being a shallow and flighty gossip. From the start of the series, she had always had a crush on Jessica's brother, Steven Wakefield. However, a romance between the two wouldn't occur until SVH #23-24 (Say Goodbye and Memories). Cara could be very snobby, especially when she was around Jessica and Lila, but deep down did have something of a conscience. She was very beautiful with dark hair, dark eyes and an olive complexion. At times, she would tell Jessica that she deserved what she got, especially when the consequences came from something hurtful that she had done. In the aforementioned SVH #23 and 24, Cara's world came crashing down. Her parents, who had been having marital problems, finally divorced. Mr. Walker moved to Chicago, taking Cara's 10 year old brother, Charlie with him. Cara remained with her mother, Jacqueline, who calls her "Cara mia". Never feeling more alone, even with Jessica, Cara turned to Steven, and they began to bond after the losses in their lives. Steven had just lost his girlfriend, Tricia Martin; and Cara was dealing with the relocation of her father and brother. They bonded, and began a tentative relationship. However, Betsy Martin, Tricia's sister, did her hardest to demolish the relationship. At first, Elizabeth Wakefield wasn't sure what to make of Cara, because she had never really liked her, because of her gossipy and flighty nature, but when she realized the change in her brother that Cara had brought out, she was impressed. From that moment on, Liz and Cara became friends. Although she still remained friends with Jessica and Lila, her role in their group was superseded by Jessica's new friend, and Elizabeth's former best friend, Amy Sutton. However, it was revealed in Book #66, Who's To Blame?, in a hidden subplot, that Cara and Jessica had finally had a huge falling out due to how the latter was treating Liz, blaming her for the breakup of her parents. She and Steven discover Jessica's evil plot to break up her parents so she could matchmake them with others. Cara, finally having seen Jessica for the cruel person she really was, and eager to be there for Liz, would join forces with Steven in helping find her. Steven and Cara gently convince Elizabeth to return home with them. Later on, they, along with Enid, would confront Jessica about her shabby treatment of her sister, and then they give her an ultimatum. That she either apologize to Liz for her shabby treatment or else be exposed for what she did, which would lead to a long grounding and total humiliation. Jessica defied them and even went and called their bluff. Eventually, Steven, furious that Jessica could harm their sister in the manner she had, would reveal her cruelty towards Liz to their mother and she is furious. She and Ned get back together, help Elizabeth realize that their separation wasn't her fault and that she was loved and cared about; and Jessica is publicly humiliated and grounded for a long time due to her sheer maliciousness towards her family. Later on, Cara's mother received a job opportunity in London, and Cara moved with her. She had almost married Steven to stay with him in California, but they realized that they were not ready for marriage. So she left, but not after saying goodbye to Elizabeth, one of her closest friends. In the book, Sweet Valley Confidential, Cara returns from London and was shown to have been a math whiz in college and was even accepted into a graduate program at MIT. She gave it up to be with Steven when he goes to law school in Los Angeles. They eventually marry, but then the marriage sunders. Cara's friendship with Elizabeth, which grew from high school, is still strong. She loves Liz, who loves her just as much, and prefers her company over Jessica's (this is a continuity error, given that she was originally Jessica's best friend). However, it's revealed in Sweet Valley High book 66 that she and Jessica suffered a falling out after she discovered her cruel plot to blame Liz for their parents' divorce and helped Steven expose her duplicity in The Parent Plot. Cara thinks her marriage is floundering because Steven was cheating on her with another woman. He had been cheating, but not with another woman, but another man, since he realized that he was gay. Jessica told Cara the whole sordid story, which angered her. Cara denounced Jessica, and then she confronted Steven about what he did. Steven found out about Jessica telling Cara; and he let his younger twin sister have it as well. At the end, Cara and Steven became civil, and she met a businessman whom she was fond of. They attended the wedding of Todd and Jessica. She and her former in-laws are still friendly, her friendship with Elizabeth is solidified even more; and she also forgave both Steven and Jessica for their duplicity. Category:Characters Category:SVC